


Soul Searching

by FlargahBlargh



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underfell, Multi, Other, Self-Insert
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2018-01-03
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:20:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8284034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlargahBlargh/pseuds/FlargahBlargh
Summary: In a land ravaged by monsters, humans struggle to survive walled off in cities far from each other. The monster King, Asgore, searches for the human souls that have taken off with his powers and the powers of all monsters from the Underground. They search to reclaim their power and wipe the humans off the Earth. Follow one girls journey through it all to save Humanity...while also saving monsterkind? (Rated M for later sex stuff and what-not).





	1. Pawns and Knights

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've had this post apocalyptic kinda thing in my head for a while now and I just recently wanted to put it down into writing. A lot of this first chapter is just explaining the situation and what-not, so bear with me as we get to better things. THIS STORY WILL MOST LIKELY END UP INTO A VERY NSFW ROMANCE SO BE WARNED NOW. I have it HARD for the Skeleton brothers so this may end up being a romance in between the story and stuff or something...I haven't actually planned that far ahead, so it's kinda...unraveling as I write :)
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Winter never left. It was always very cold. When I was younger, the snow was a magical thing to me. I loved to play in it and roll up large snowballs to make snowmen...I even played with the other children in my sector. They were just as fascinated with the snow as I was.

But now, at 22, the snow no longer holds a magic for me...it hasn't in many years. It never leaves now...it coats all the north every month of the year....ever since the monsters came out of the Earth all those years ago.

Before even my great great great grandmother was born, Monsters and Humans lived in peace and harmony, until one day, for a still unknown reason, the Monsters attacked humankind in a hope to run them extinct. Humans and Monster fought for many years until finally, the Human King's four greatest sorcerers and sorceresses sealed the monsters far underground in the large Mount Ebbot. And that's where they stayed for many years.

But one day, it was recorded that a young orphaned child named Frisk climbed the mountain and fell into the Underground to try to befriend the Monsters and reunite Humans and Monsters once more...but it failed. 

The Monsters struck Frisk down without hesitation, and finally received the final soul to break the seal on the mountain. They soon wreaked havoc on the world, driving Humans to endangerment. But something happened that halted the Monsters final assault....  
The Monster King, King Asgore, fell ill after consuming all the human souls that the monsters had gathered. The souls fought back, and eventually rejected Agore, and escaped to all corners of the world, taking Asgore's monster powers with them. 

Ever since then, the monsters could not gather the energy needed for a full assault on what was left of the Humans, and instead retreated back to the mountain and the deep forests. Since then, Monsters have hunted the souls, sure they haven't moved on since they hold Asgore's monster power. They lay in hiding, waiting to be able to return the borrowed Monster power to Asgore so they may move on.

Humans have hunted the souls as well, trying to gather them to keep the monsters from regaining their ranks, but at the same time, humans have managed to rebuild, albeit only in a small portion. The humans are scattered now in walled in cities spread across the world, miles apart; walled in to keep monsters from entering through the magical gates.

Humans lost the ability for magic, but gained a small portion of the knowledge back through monsters, which is probably the only reason humankind still manages to thrive, even through the magically-altered climates.  
Ever since the monsters came from the underground, the world changed due to the high levels of magic. All climates became extreme in their respective areas. The north is always snowing now, and the farther up you go, the worse it gets. Down south, it has become incredibly warm, first leading to fields, then woods, then rain forest, then to deserts.

Humans have learned to adapt in their areas.

Even now, however, the cold nips and makes my nose bleed as I walk through the dark and broken down streets of my sector. It looks like something straight out of those old video games on the discs I played about badlands and apocalypses....broken down and mostly made of metal and scrap....at least down here. In the upper districts, it's made of stone and concrete, then in the Noble district, it's beautiful rare metals, gold, and marble.

The world works on class now, and if you aren't at the top, your at the bottom.

I live in the far north, closer to monster territory, so we have many attacks on the outer gates, but we're also one of the larger cities, so we're well protected....at least the top rung is. Us lower class at the bottom only get a weak magical barrier and a chain fence, but it's held for this long.

I stared out past the chain fence to the forest about a kilometer away from the city. Humans cut down a small portion of the forest to have distance between us and it, since the monsters dwelled within. It made it harder for monsters to sneak up on the city, but it made it harder for humans to send out collection teams or caravans.

I finally realized what I had on the side of my brain for the majority of the day: Today was my first day as a collector! I quickly rushed down the muddy and slushy street, dodging junk and people in the way, running for the run-down meeting building close the the exit gate.

I quickly slid across the mud before catching the door, flinging it open and running inside to find about 20 or so people inside, all flicking their heads my direction.  
"Can I help you?" The man holding the clipboard asked before he adjusted his glasses and nodded. "Ah, Cheyenne, you're here. Have a seat." He said. I nodded at him and sat in the chair closest to me.  
The man holding the clipboard cleared his throat and began. 

"As I was saying, I am the Head of the Collecting division for this sector, Ryan Pepper. It is my job to make sure you all know what you're doing out there and to keep you from getting into trouble. Now, I noticed quite a few new faces today that I saw at the sign up a few weeks ago, so, as per regulation, it is my job to tell you about all the classes and jobs available, should you desire to change later."  
No one spoke, so Pepper continued. 

"As I hope all of you know, you are all part of the Collecting Division; Collectors, as you will. Your job, as the name describes, is to go outside the protective barrier and collect supplies in the woods such as flowers and herbs that can't be grown in the Upper-Class gardens. You are also prompted to collect rare objects you find, such as crystals, rare metals, potential digging, mining or logging sites that we could use for later. You are also noted, and this is for the more experienced Collectors that have been with us for a long time,"

He stopped and nodded at a small group of older people sitting in their own chairs. You could clearly tell them apart from us newbies just by the way they sat in their chairs; slumped and very relaxed.  
"Their job is to go farther into the woods and map out the darker parts of the forest...monster infested parts." He said in a dark tone. 

A lot of us were nervous. There was always risk with going outside the walls with monsters, but us on the lower tier could only get so far without use of magic.

"Now, I'll explain the rest of the careers and duties. As most of you know, Depending on your class depends on what jobs are available for you...that and your potential." He cleared his throat and flipped through his clipboard. 

Talk of class was....well, unclassy, but it was the truth, and down in the slums, we knew how it worked. The higher up you are on the scale, the better job you get...or if you're lucky enough to be born with magic, it's an automatic transfer for you and your family to the rich district.

"The King labels the majority of the jobs available based on a chessboard. In the lower class you have "The Pawns". you have available: Mining, Collecting, Caravans, and small-time businesses. I shouldn't really have to explain anything to you on those topics...I'm sure many of you know what they all are, and if not, the names are self explanatory. "

Many people rolled their eyes at the word "Pawns". The king thought it was clever, and honestly so did all the other rulers of other settlements as now every "country" used the terms as almost every country ran the same, except for minor rules and such, though the lower class masses didn't care for it. "Pawns" made us seem expendable...which in truth, we really were. 

"For the middle class there are available "Rooks" and very rare occasions as "knights". Rooks are sentry posts for the walls. The higher up you are in status and potential, the closer you are to the king. Three walls means you can either end up guarding the outside gate, the middle gate, or the King's Gate, which walls off the Noble class and the king.

Knights is exactly as their name says. They guard the city and it's people, and the same as Rooks, the higher in status and potential you are, the closer you are to the king, though only noble status knights can be part of the king's guard, which personally protect the nobles and their king. The rest guard the city and uphold the law, as well as guard traveling caravans, collectors and miners. 

The final tier of work is "Bishops" which consist of only magic users. Bishops work directly for the king running the gardens of rare herbs, working on magic defenses and offenses, guarding the library, ect. Anything to do with magic that's where you go, and of course if you are blessed enough to be born with magic, you are immediately, along with your family, are bumped to high class if you aren't already and get to pick from Bishop and Knight, if you have the physical strength to back it up."

At this, one young person rose their hand. 

"Yes...Jessie?" Pepper had to look at his clipboard to see his name.

"I thought only Bishops had magic?" They asked. Pepper nodded and set down his clipboard. 

"Not necessarily. Knights can have magic as well. As long as the aspiring, magic-wielding knight has the physical prowess to back it up, they may join. A lot of times the magic knights remain in the upper class sectors, but at times they are distributed amongst the ranks to assist in monster detection."

It was my turn to raise my hand. "Monster detection, sir?" I asked. 

He nodded and continued. "A majority of the time, Knights will use their magic to detect other waves of magic, as all monsters secrete magic at high levels, it is easy to detect if close enough. Knights in the field will use this to protect caravans or collectors...such as we have one today." Pepper waved his hand to the four Knights standing in the corner, and the one female knight stepped forward. 

She was obviously a seasoned knight, as her face was littered with scars, but in a way, the scars looked very charming on her dark skin. Her head was shaved and the left side of her head was tattooed with what looked like the magic runes I had seen in many of the books I found in the shop keepers cart down from my house. She smiled and lightly bowed. 

The boy next to me, littered with freckles and messy, curly red hair beamed at her. "Have you seen many battles Knight......erm...??" He motioned for her to speak, but she simply stood there, giving him a kind but sad smile. It was one of the other knights that stepped up, an older man with a missing eye. "Knight Andria. She can't answer you I'm afraid. She was once in a fierce monster attack with the Captain of the Royal Guard of Monsters herself...Undyne the Undying. She cut out her tongue and beat her to near death. It was me and my old partner, rest his soul, that saved her." The man looked like he could go on for hours recalling old tales, but Knight Andria put a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him and he sighed and smiled back.

The red headed boy next to me looked like he was going to shake out of his seat he was so excited. I smiled at him, then out of the corner of my eye I saw Knight Andria starting at me with quizzical eyes. I stared back at her, unsure of what she was staring for until Pepper continued.

"Regardless of Knight Andria's lack of speech, she is a very skilled Magical Knight that is dedicated to protecting you with her life, as are all of the Knights here, and as am I. Rest assured our duty is to get you all home safety. All we ask in return is that you gather the important materials your king asks of you." Pepper nodded at the knights, who in turn nodded at him.

This time, it was one of the older Pawns (even though our specific occupation is Collectors, Pepper asked us to refer to ourselves as Pawns) barked out. "We don't usually need magic knights unless we're going deep in the forest, Pepper....no offense to you, Lady Knight." The older man nodded at Knight Andria, who smiled and nodded back. Pepper pushed up his small glasses and spoke.

"That's because, as much to my dismay, we are ALL going into the deep wood today." He said grimly. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine, as I'm sure all the younger Pawns did as well.

"I know I told you that I only take the seasoned out to the deep wood, but the king has called all collection divisions to head deeper into the woods. Our last few collections have been very small in all divisions, and recently there has been sightings of rare crystals forming in the deeper woods from the underground. Only monsters have full access to these crystals, as even our miners have trouble getting to the crystals since they form so deep underground in monster territory, we've only been able to collect scraps, so news of crystals forming above ground in the forest are welcome indeed...but they're deep within...in monster territory, but we're desperate for them, so, we're asking you all to put your lives at risk for the king, even more so than usual....but you won't go in unrewarded. The king has offered to double your pay for this. If, however, you still wish to exit, you may leave now, but once we are outside you cannot back out.

Everyone remained quiet for a moment before one chair scrapped backwards and a young man stood quivering. He walked to the front door and looked back at the knights. "I'm so sorry..." He muttered. The knights all gently bowed their heads at him in understanding, then he walked out the door. Soon after, two more people, an older man and a woman walked out, but not before bowing to the knights, who in turn bowed their heads and watched them leave.

"...Anyone else? Last chance." Pepper announced, but no one else moved. I had considered for a moment leaving...it was a lot more than I had bargained for on my first Collecting, but the extra money would be more than welcome.

Pepper nodded at one of the knights and he stepped forward, hands behind his back. "Alright, Pawns, this is how it's going to go."


	2. From Bad To Worse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group of Pawn Collectors finally go out on their hunt for crystals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! I've got a lot going on and a lot to do, so I had to work on this little by little. The next chapter will hopefully not take as long but I can't promise anything! Thanks everyone for continuing to support this story! :D

We stood at the gates to the outside. My coat was thin, but it was thick enough to keep me from freezing. My face hurt from the bite of the cold, but honestly I think the red headed boy next to me was even worse off than I was. He had not gloves and his coat was moth eaten and ragged. I felt bad for the poor guy. 

While the knights spoke to one another and made sure everything was laid out properly, I leaned over and began speaking with the read head.   
"Hey, what's your name and story?" I asked. I must have surprised him because he jumped almost out of his shoes.

"Oh, I'm Zackary. I uh....need money, like everybody else...hehe." He laughed nervously and rubbed his arms. "Why don't you have gloves, Zack? You'll need em' to get stuff out of the snow, unless you wanna freeze your fingers off." I said.  
He remained quite for a long time before muttering something I barely caught. "I don't have gloves..."

I felt really shitty now. I thought and debated for a moment before sighing and reaching into my back pocket and pulling out the spare gloves I had brought. The gloves I had on were wearing down and starting to get ready to tear, so I had scrounjed up some change and bought a new pair that I was going to put on when these wore out, but....it seemed Zack needed them more. 

I handed them to him and smiled. He stared at me for a moment before almost bursting into tears. 

"A-Alright, calm down dude! It's all good!" I laughed as he took them and put them on. They were a bit too small for him but he seemed overjoyed anyway.   
"I've never had a pair of new gloves before! they feels so nice...thank you so much! A-Are you sure I can have them?" He asked, wiping away tears that had built up.  
"Well, I couldn't take them back even if I tried now after seeing how happy they made you. Keep them. Like I said, you're going to need them if you want to keep your fingers. It gets colder in the deep woods."   
He stared at me, continuing to wiggle his fingers in the gloves. "It does? How do you know that?" He asked. I just noticed he stood a head smaller than me, which was really something considering I was only 5'5.  
"I read a lot." I stated simply, shrugging.

He nodded and then went quiet again for a moment. "...I can't read." He said sadly.  
I sighed and patted him on the back. " Lots of people in the lower class can't read, nothing to be ashamed of. We don't really have schools around in the lower class, so it's not like you could go to school or anything for it."   
He nodded, but still seemed upset over it, so I changed the subject.

"So, you seemed pretty fond of that Knight Andria. You got the sweets for her or something?" I joked, elbowing him gently. He blushed and shook his head. "No, I just....really admire her." He muttered.  
I smiled and pushed for him to continue. "W-well, I always wanted to be a knight...obviously that's a silly and impossible dream, but...I admire what the knights can do...and then a knight with MAGIC...that's more than impressive. She'll literally go down in history!"

I nodded in agreement. Any knight worth their salt got put down in each city's history books. Any of them that did impressive feats or that were born with magic got in. It was a huge honor. It meant your family would be set for life as long as your lineage went on, so not only did it mean bringing honor to you, but to your entire name and family forever.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Pepper whistled loudly. "Alright Pawns, we're about to head out. Our game plan is fairly simple. In our district we will be splitting into small groups. five per person including a knight to protect you. Me and Andria will take the front while the four groups spread into a diamond formation and follow our lead. Be quick, be silent, be efficient. Your knight will tell you your directions and you follow them.  
When your pack and your teams packs get full, your knight will lead you back to the city where you can turn in your finds to the knights and pawns in waiting to receive them....and they will have your payment.  
Now should anything happen to your group, you get separated, or your knight has fallen, you all were given compasses...use that and follow it south and you should return to the city. Report to a knight and fill them in. They will handle the rest."  
Pepper went silent for a moment, scanning over his small crowd. 

"Rely on one another and stay together. That is the key for survival. Do not engage any monster you see. Leave that to your fellow knight. You have one job. Collect and return. Stay safe and stay vigilant."  
Pepper then nodded at one of the Rooks, the gatekeeper, and he waved at several men above the wall. Loud creaking metal and wood could be heard, then the gate rose upward, revealing the wide open and white plain to the group.  
"MOVE OUT!" One of the knights shouted, and we all began running.

It was a scary few moments, running out into the open like that. My heart pounded in my chest and I could feel a cold sweat building on my head and palms. Everything around us was almost completely white, except for the city behind us and the dark forest in front of us.

The run didn't seem to last as long as I thought it was before we were covered by the treeline. Our knight (Aroll his name was) motioned for use to halt. We tried to stay our heavy breathing long enough for Aroll to listen. He then dropped his hand and motioned for us to follow.

We weren't really allowed to make small talk among our group as Aroll and the other knights whom we could just see with their groups a little farther spaced in the forest had to listen for any disturbances or word from Andria.  
Every once in a while I would glance at Zack, who seemed incredibly twitchy. His eyes darted everywhere in the forest and I could hear his shaky breaths as he walked. I very gently placed a hand on his shoulder, which he slightly jumped from, and smiled at him and nodded. He nodded back, swallowing hard and gave me a weak smile. It honestly worried me. If we ran into trouble, I would most likely need to help him keep a calm mind and not panic. Another trouble I had to add to my list.  
As we walked, the forest got denser and darker. More growth and strange plants grew as we got deeper and deeper. The trees grew taller as well and more thick. It was getting harder to watch the other groups, even with the light of the white snow.  
Soon the forest had gotten so thick and large, that we lost track of the other groups. "Sir, we can't see the others anymore." One of the younger people in our group whispered to our knight. He shushed her and reassured her. "It's alright. This is part of the plan. Right now, focus on your own group." The girl seemed a bit shaken. One of the others in the group leaned over to her and asked her if she was okay. "My husband is in one of the other groups." She said quietly. She sounded like she was about to start sobbing. I felt bad, but at the same time I couldn't help but roll my eyes. 

They knew what they were coming in here to do, and they knew the dangers so why didn't they leave if they were gonna get like this?  
After what felt like forever of walking, our Knight stopped us. He pointed ahead and we could see a faint glow here and there. "That's what you're after. Go get as much as you can. I'll keep watch. Just. Stay. Quiet." He muttered. We all nodded and went at a swift pace to the glowing objects scattered across the forest floor. When I got to one, I had to stop and marvel for a moment.

The crystal was blue pink and glowing faintly. It looked like it had a galaxy inside it. It was incredibly beautiful. It hummed gently and when I touched it it was warm. It was about the size of a small child. I quickly pulled my pick and hammer out of my bag and began gently chipping away at the base. 

Throughout the forest you could hear the faint tings and shuffling from everyone working on a crystal. As I worked on mine, a small shard chipped off the crystal and hit the floor. I picked it up in my gloved hands and stared at it.  
We weren't supposed to take anything for ourselves. We could get in trouble for it, in fact and lose our payment, but who would miss a tiny crystal like this? It was a decent size to wrap in wire and put on a necklace. I quickly pocketed the shard and continued chipping away at my shard.  
______________________________________________________________________________

It had been a while since I heard from the other Knights or the other teams, but I hadn't heard any danger sounds or alerts so I assumed we were okay. I watched the tree line and deeper woods for eyes, teeth or anything I thought unusual. Knight Andria would know if there was anything around before any other Knight, so if there was anything, she would warn us.

Eventually most of the Pawns were finished collecting their crystal and packed it into their bags and met back up with me. They worked swiftly and quietly, which was a blessing. I didn't like coming into the deep woods, though I can't imagine many who do. The woods were dark, cold, and anything could jump us at any moment.

My head quickly flipped around to a dark spot of the forest, my hand on my blade. I frightened the Pawns around me at the quick movement. One of them dropped their bag and quickly made their way behind me, as others scanned the area in a panic, but still quiet, which was very good. I didn't need anyone screaming.

I continued to stare at the spot I saw movement. I wanted to approach but I knew doing so could not only put me in jeopardy, but the crew around me. If it was something going near it would entice it to attack. It was better to keep a distance and keep my eyes on it as we quickly flee.

I whistled and waved the rest of the Pawns over who had just finished their gathering.

"Alright Pawns," I whispered low. "It may be nothing but there might be something watching us. We need to leave now and turn in our findings. I will alert the other groups that we are heading out and that there might be danger nearby. If anything happens, follow your compasses to the capital, try to stay together." I explained as calmly as I could, slowly stepping in the way of the area I saw movement and the Pawns. 

I could hear the Pawns muttering and mumbling in frightened whispers as we began moving back towards the entrance of the forest until I heard a shout from one of the Pawns.  
"ZACK!!!!"

______________________________________________________________________________  
As we prepared to head out, I turned around and noticed Zack wasn't in the group. I frantically look around until I found him, farther back in the woods still chipping away at a large crystal....with something incredibly large looming behind him.  
My instincts took over and I dropped my bag, quickly running to him. 

"ZACK!!!!" I screamed, quickly ducking low and slamming my body into his, rolling ourselves out of the way of the large creature. It swiped downward and shattered the crystal Zack had been carving out into tiny shards. Zack stared up at the monster. I could tell Zack would scream and faint at any moment.

"MOVE!! BACK TO THE CAPITAL!!!" The Knight screamed at the group, unsheathing his sword and running at the behemoth. It glowing yellow eyes narrowed and a loud roar erupted from the beast as the Knight charged him, slicing his blade through the air, missing the creature.

I grabbed Zack's hand and yanked him up and we quickly ran towards the other groups direction. I needed to get the Knight help. He couldn't do it on his own. Zack was running on pure adrenaline at this point. His eyes were wild and his hand had mine in a death grip. I had to focus. Zack and the Knight would die if I didn't.

It didn't take long to charge through some bushes and find Knight Andria, already her sword drawn at us with her group and Pepper behind her. But as soon as she saw us she ran over to us.   
"Knight....attacked...needs help....fighting giant monster alone!" I gasped, trying to catch my breath.

Andria didn't wait a second longer. She took off through the bushes as fast as lightning

Pepper took Zack from me, trying to calm him. "We're heading back. Grab your bags and lets go." He stated, still holding Zack and whispering to him.

I felt like I just got punched in the gut. I had dropped my bag saving Zack, So I had no crystal to turn in...which meant no payment. I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. I was almost tempted to brave going back to get my bag, but I figured living was far more worth it.

I began walking to catch up with the group when suddenly, out of the darkness-

"CATCH EVERY ONE OF THEM! ALIVE!!" A loud shriek came from behind me, I spun around to find the worst site I had seen.

Undyne the Undying and her Royal Guard, pointing and grinning at us.


	3. Unforeseen Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle with Undyne the Undying, and a run from scary monsters which all goes south....or does it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter seems rushed....and not going where I know a lot of you want it to go right away, but it's getting there, I promise XD

My heart raced and my blood ran cold as I watched Undyne the Undying step out from the bushes with a small group of monsters behind her, each one more terrifying than the last. A large dog with a spear clad in dark armor, a skeleton in black and red armor holding a glowing red bone, and two large unidentifiable creatures in black armor, just as big as the dog.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, slowly stepping backwards.

"Fufufufu! If you all want to live, I suggest staying put! If you try to run I'll gut you myself!" Undyne shouted. I glanced behind me and could see everyone huddled together behind Pepper. Even now he was going to try to protect everyone. Zack looked like he was gone. His skin was as white as snow, tears leaked down his face and his eyes were so wide I thought they would take over his face.

I quickly turned my attention back to Undyne....who was directly in front of me know, towering over me. I had never seen a monster up close. I had read they were incredibly tall but I never knew they meant THIS tall....it was like standing next to a tree. She glared down at me with her one glowing yellow eye, her sharp teeth glinting dangerously. 

"Fufufu! You all look like you can carry your weight! There will be plenty of monsters who will want a few of you for manual labor!" Undyne began to reach her hand out towards me. I wanted to move. I wanted to scream. I wanted to do anything at this point, but my body wasn't having it.

As fate would have it, Knight Andria came bursting through the bushes, slinging her glinting sword towards Undyne who dodged last second, her long and flowing fin of hair getting nicked just barely by the tip of the sword. As she skidded to a halt on the ground, she glared up at Andria, her eye going wild and her smile threatening to rip her face in two.

"The magic Knight! I've waited so long to fight you again! I took your tongue and your friend last time we fought...but this time I plan to take your LIFE!" Undyne cackled as she took her stance. She eyed the rest of her squad , being careful to not let Andria out of her sight. "You all take the rest of em'. The Knight is mine." She growled.

The rest of Undyne's squad started to walk towards us menacingly. I backed up to the rest of the group, Pepper trying to pull me behind him. "Mr. Pepper....go with the rest of the group! I can stay and keep them from coming after you!" I whispered hurriedly. Pepper shook his head. "Let me stay, you take care of the group" He insisted.

"Pepper, there's no time to argue. GO!" I shouted. He hesitated just a second before shouting at the rest of the group to start running. As soon as they all turned and started darting off, Undyne's squad started at us with a run. I took rocks from the ground and chucked them at the squad as hard as I could. I heard one of them snarl loudely as a rock hit one, but I wasn't waiting around to see who I hit. I got the attention of at least three of them as I took off in another direction away from the group.   
I didn't know what I was doing. I wasn't some hero. I wasn't going to gain anything from saving all of the others, but something deep inside me pushed me to do it....told me to keep the others safe at the cost of my own life. It happened more and more lately, this....feeling of caring and putting others before myself. I used to always put myself first. In this world, I had to. But lately there had been this small unfamiliar voice in my head and heart...damn, maybe down to my soul, telling me to be the best person I could be. To be kind to anyone and everyone and everything...even monsters.

I snapped from my haze and continued to run. I glanced behind me and saw three of the monsters after me: The two large unknown creatures clad in black and the skeleton. The skeleton was the faster of the two, him being very thin but incredibly tall. I tried to weave through trees and bushes to keep them away but they were determined. Why all three of them after me, though? I was just one person while they only had one chasing after a large group. What made me so special? Was it because I threw the rocks at them? Where they hoping to tear me apart for my insolence?

I wasn't gonna stick around to find out.

Running was becoming harder, however. My lungs were burning from the cold air, I could feel blood rushing from my nose from the cold and pressure of running and my legs ached painfully. Running hurt, but if I stopped I was dead or worse: captured. But it seemed like that was going to happen regardless. My foot caught on a root just right where I lost my balance and tripped, landing face-first into the snow. They didn't hesitate. The skeleton grabbed the back of my jacket, picking me up and holding me eye level to him. He was so incredibly tall, and I was already rather short at 5'5, that my feet dangled as he held me in front of him, glaring me down. 

In his eye sockets he had glowing red specks, glaring me down. "FINALLY. YOU ARE FAST, HUMAN, BUT YOU CANNOT OUTRUN THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS!" He bellowed. His voice was scratchy and high-pitched, but it still managed to carry much terrifying weight to it. The skeleton chuckled and threw me to one of the hulking beasts who grabbed me with one hand and held me against his chest like a bag of groceries. I didn't bother to struggle. I knew it was pointless. I was done for, and nothing could change that.

The slowly walked back towards Undyne (the skeleton more marched proudly) and my head began to throb. The cold had to be getting to me. I could feel the blood drying on my face from my nose bleeding and I wanted nothing more than to wipe it from my face. It crossed my mind that maybe Andria was still okay, but I heard no signs of fighting, which meant one of two things: I was about to be the luckiest person alive and Andria won her fight with Undyne, or......

They walked into the clearing, where Undyne had Andria on the ground, her spear pointed to the back of her throat and her foot dug into her back. Andria was a mess, but so was Undyne, panting and bleeding....but victorious. Undyne glared up at us, grinning wickedly. "Good. You caught the one I wanted. Now she can watch her Knight die. Greater Dog hasn't come back with any other group members yet, but he will soon enough I'm sure." She muttered, twisting her heel into Andria's back, making her hiss in pain.  
I could feel my heart hammering in my chest. Undyne was going to execute Andria right here, right now, right in front of me....I had to stop her. I had no idea what to do, but I had to stop her, no matter what. I felt like some second instinct was kicking in, one I never had realized before.

Undyne rose her spear high, ready to strike down. "If only I had a bigger audience...but I'm not letting you get away again. This time...I end this!" Undyne shouted, bringing the spear down.

My heart hammered and everything seemed to slow down as I watched the blade make it's way to the back of Andria's neck. I screamed as loud as I could, pushing hard against the monster holding me.

Right then, a blinding white light shone in the woods, making everything impossible to see. I could feel energy and life flowing through me like I had never felt before. I felt alive...I felt ready to fight.

My mind was in a haze, and nothing made sense. Everything was blurry, and I didn't even realize my own actions. I remembered screaming and shouting, lots of movement....it seemed like it was going to last forever.

Eventually everything went dark once again. I blinked away the sparks and spots in my eyesight and saw I was kneeling at the beginning of the forest, Knight Andria in my arms. Her eyes were wide and she was staring at me with a bewildered look. I blinked at her, confused. I opened my mouth to speak but instead of words I felt something warm pour out. I looked down and saw blood soaking the ground and the front of my chest. Andria looked horrified as she struggled up, grabbing my face in her hands and making this noise, like she was trying to speak. I could hear a fuzzy voice in my head, but my vision blurred, and then everything went dark.

I could still hear Andria trying to speak, and that soft but strong voice in my head, fading away.


	4. Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne meets a new friend, and reunites with old ones....at least....some of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait on updates guys! Been busy with a lot of other junk at the moment, but I'm trying to start the ball rolling again on this fanfic. HOpefully I can update a lot quicker for you guys! I know not too much happens in this chapter, and it's running slow but soon we'll get to the rest of the monsters and everything else I promise! Story building take a while XD

I could hear a kind but firm voice muttering something. I couldn't see or move, and honestly I didn't want to. I felt terrible, even without moving. I could feel all the aches and pains running through my body and my throat was dry. I coughed and shifted a little. The speaking stopped. Slowly I worked open my eyes and blinked away the blur until I could see a dull white ceiling. I coughed again, slowly sitting up, hissing through my teeth as I did so.

The first thing I saw was Pepper, standing up from an overturned chair he had most likely been sitting in before. He was staring me down, wide eyed and smiling, a sigh of relief leaving him. "You're awake, thank the Gods." He shuttered and picked up the chair and sat back down. He looked rough; bruises and scrapes all over him and his arm wrapped up and pulled into a sling around his neck. I glanced around the rest of the room and found Knight Andria and the Knight that had guarded my team in the room. The other Knight was beaten up just as bad as Pepper, his body wrapped in lots of gauze. I stared at them for a long while before I cleared my throat and tried to speak, but only a raspy noise came forth. I coughed again as Pepper got up and handed me a glass of water, which I took thankfully and drank the entire glass before I cleared my throat and spoke.

"What happened?" 

They all looked from one another as Pepper straightened himself out in his chair and sighed. "That's what we want to know. Andria gave us a run down....You, in the midst of her crisis, began glowing.....or at least your soul did, and you managed to beat back Undyne the Undying and her soldiers and get Andria to safety before you passed out. She then proceeded to bring you back to the capital."

That was a lot of information to process. I sat in silence for a moment before speaking up again. "My soul...? But...only magic-users can make contact with the magic in their souls to do anything even close to that....last I checked I'm not a magic user." I muttered.

"That's what we're curious about." The other Knight spoke. He walked over to my bed and stared me down. ".....has this happened before? Or have you heard voices or....felt anything different lately?" He questioned. I thought for a long moment before deciding there was no point in lying. "Yeah, actually. I've been hearing....more like....FEELING...a strange voice in my head. Telling me to do things I wouldn't normally do. Well, I say telling me, more like...convincing me." 

They all stared at one another again before turning back to me. "...We think....no we're pretty damn sure we know what's going on with you. We think-" Pepper was interrupted by a very tall man opening and closing my door, walking in and coming directly to the bed to stare me down. His eyes were a hawk eye yellow, but had a twinkle of mischief in them. His silver hair slicked back to his scalp. He looked rather young, but in his eyes with mischief came something very wise. 

No one spoke as we stared each other down. Suddenly the silver haired man's face crinkled with his large smile, sharp canines poking out from his lips as he began laughing a bellowing laugh. "It IS you! My my, I haven't seen that look of Determination in ages!" He looked as if he'd go running around the room he was so excited. I stared at him in confusion, then looked to the others who seemed....less surprised. 

"Thatch, I didn't think you would show up today." The older Knight said in an almost detesting type of way. The man spun to the older knight and smiled, his long black coat sweeping around him. "Ah, I wasn't planning on it but I had a sudden surge of energy and a chill up my spine! I couldn't resist a peak! And it seems we were correct! She is the holder of the Red Soul!" He nearly cheered. The others seemed incredibly shocked, looking to me and back to this Thatch. "THE Red Soul? I figured it might be a soul but.....The Red Soul? Really?" Pepper mused, staring me down. 

I had no clue what was going on. But I picked up on the keywords of the conversation and pieced it together slowly. Me...the harbinger of the Red Soul....The Child's soul....Frisk's soul. Frisk was well known throughout the world, but had different titles for everyone. The Monster Bringer, The Angel, The Angel of Death, The Last Child, Child of Light, Child of Determination, the names went on and on. Some saw Frisk as a destroyer as they freed the monsters from The Underground. And some saw them as a Peacekeeper that just...had bad luck. I never cared. I always sort of...blamed Frisk for bringing this on the world, but I always figured eventually if Frisk didn't do it, someone else would have. I also saw it as a child who just wanted to bring kindness to a species that had never had any. I never picked one way or the other, as it didn't matter in the end anyway.

I snapped from my thoughts as Thatch skipped over to me and went down on his knees, his hands grabbing mine and holding them. "You are a VERY lucky young lady....or...a very UNlucky young lady. Really it depends on your perspective." He chuckled and stared at me with intense eyes. "You harbinge the soul of the child Frisk. They chose YOU to hold their soul and power to keep away from the monster king Asgore. That is a lot of responsibility that you didn't even know you had." He patted my hands and shot back up onto his feet. "Well then, you need to get dressed and up as soon as possible! We have to take you to the capital! The Head King will want to meet with you!" He stated loudly and marched out of the room. We all stared at the door for a moment before he marched back in and plopped a large bag on the foot of my bed, jingling and clinking as it bounced then settled. "Coins for new clothing and supplies you'll need. It's a long trip and a cold one at that. I'll be at the bar Mermaid's Grace whenever you're ready." He fixed his collar and strolled out, humming under his breath.

I stared at Pepper who stood up, chuckling. "Thatch is always in good spirits. I know this is a lot to put on you all of a sudden but you must realize how big a deal this is for all of Humanity. You hold the most powerful of the souls out there, and you are currently the fourth that we know of that exists. Finding the....'Soul Bearers' as we've come to call them, is EXTREMELY important to our survival. Thatch is the Head King's magician. When he heard of your incident he immediately set to come here to see you for himself." Pepper explained.

"I still don't understand I have a LOT of questions!" I whined. It was all happening really fast. My body still hurt and my head was spinning. Pepper placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled. "I know, and I'll answer anything I can. Andria, would you go get the nurse to bring in Cheyenne's food? I'm sure she's famished." Pepper called to the knight, who nodded and got up and wandered out of the door. "Ask while you can, because as soon as you're done eating Andria is going to take you to the Upper city to get supplies."  
I felt my stomach do a flip-flop when I heard I was going to the Upper City. I had never set foot there in all my life, and neither did my mother or hers before her. It would probably be the first time any of my family ever ventured to the Upper City. I gulped and cleared my head the best I could. "First....how long have I been out?" I asked.

"It's been a few days. Nearly a week now."

"Really? That long? Well.....oh Gods, Zach! Where's Zach?!" I began to panic.

Pepper's eyes grew tired and sad as he remained silent. I knew what was coming next. "Zach....fell behind. I tried to go back and save him but....Undyne's guard got to him before I could. I'm sorry." He looked away from me, clearly troubled. He rubbed his broken arm. I sat in silence before I sighed. "He knew the risks....but.... I can't help but feel bad for not being able to help him." I looked down, rubbing my hands against my arms. "We all wanted to help those that fell victim to the Royal Guard but....there wasn't much any of us could do." He placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed.

After a moment of silence he glanced up at me again. "Any more questions, Cheyenne?" I shook my head. That was all I needed to know for now. Everything else I could get out of Thatch the next time we met.

After my food was brought in and I scarfed it down (it was bland hospital food but not eating for several days takes it toll) I got dressed and headed out of the hospital with Andria, but not before saying goodbye to Pepper. He reassured me everything would be okay from now on as long as I stayed near Knight Andria and Thatch, but I couldn't help but feel deep down in my gut....

things were about to get a lot worse for me.


	5. Old, Newer, Newest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheyenne heads to the Upper Class District with Thatch and Knight Andria to do a bit of shopping for their trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this took so darn long to update guys! things have been all over the place lately, as usual XD. But seriously I really wanna start updating this again. I haven't given up on this at all. I have to say, the next two chapter or so will most likely be "filler" to sort of pan on the world building and get the plot rolling. I'll try not to take too much time with it, but I LOVE being able to build on the world with this. Thanks again for sticking around!

Knight Andria walked next to me as we made a quick detour to my house. Before we would leave for the Capital and all that, I wanted to make sure my home was locked down and protected when I came back….IF I came back. That gnawing feeling in the back of my head and soul told me I wouldn’t see my home again…if not for a long, long time. Who knows? Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. Maybe that feeling meant, now that I was a known magic user, and a Soul Bearer, I might just be living it up in luxury for the rest of my life! 

When we arrived at my home, it seemed Andria already made the arrangements for someone to guard my home. A young knight with wavy blonde hair stood in the doorway, staring out across the area, eyes darting left and right.

Andria pointed at him and rolled her eyes. I could already tell what she meant; Newbie. Eager to please. We went up to him and he immediately straightened out, Andria. “Ma’am, the area is secure. No troublemakers in sight. Had a rough bout with a couple of kids but nothing out of the ordinary, Ma’am!” He barked out loudly.

I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing, as the neighbors all stood in their doorways and looked out their windows, staring at the two shiny Knights in the poor district. A few of the kids pointed and “oohed” and “aaahed” as their parents hurried them inside. Most people had a great respect for our Knights and other Knights, but there was still that bitter disdain that they were living it up in the life of luxury while we sat down here in the dirt and mud. 

Quickly I made my way inside, past the Knight (who was surprisingly my height…shorter than I thought a Knight would be) and glanced around my home. Everything was as I left it. My bed was made, plates all washed and clean…a good way to leave it. I ran and dug under my bed at the loose floorboard and pulled out a small box. My leftover supply of gold, the monster tooth I found just outside the barrier, and a small round, red rock I found with the tooth. It glittered when I put it up to the light, like a Spinel jewel. These were the only treasures I owned, but they were mine. I grabbed them up and put them in my travel bag (which I planned to switch out with a new one when we got to the Upper Class market) and headed out the door. Nothing else was of super great value, so even if someone managed to slip past the short-eager to please-guard, they would find a bed, a table, a few clean dishes, and other utilities that most people had. It wouldn’t be a big loss if they took them.

Most would feel sad for having to leave their homes, but it was just a place to stay for me. I didn’t make many friends that stayed long here, I had no more living family as far as I knew, and I was miserable here anyway. This was good for me. I was starting out new because of the child Frisk. I gripped my chest and sighed a soft thank you, to whom the short Knight grinned and bellowed “Just doing my job, miss!” even though the thanks was not to him…but Frisk.

I wanted to conversate with Andria, but her not being able to speak made it…difficult. She seemed fine with the quiet however. She walked tall and proud through the slums all the way to the edge of the second barrier where the bar, Mermaid’s Grace, sat at. It was a little hole in the wall place, but warm and inviting looking. I had been here several times when I was down and had extra money to blow on drinks. The owner was large and gruff, but kind and always willing to listen to my problems. 

We walked in and everyone in the bar (only a few patrons as it was the middle of the day) were quiet; the mood somber. In the corner, near the window, was Thatch, who waved us over with a smile as he smoked on a thick, old, pipe. We both sat down and he waved the waiting girl to us and ordered three pints (to which I declined. I wasn’t drinking this early before going to the Upper Class District, no Sir). He took a long drag from his pipe and smiled at us. “So, you all ready to go shopping, dear? You’ll need several things, which is why I’m still here to assist you. Plus I’ll be walking with you and Andria to the Capital.” I glanced at Andria who nodded, draining her large pint of beer and smiled at me. I noticed a patron lean over his chair, raising his glass toward Andria who raised her now empty one in some sort of respectful, silent, cheer. 

“Andria will be coming with you just to the Capital, then she’ll return here. Extra muscle for the road.” He knocked his pipe out on the small tray provided and put it in his coat before clearing his throat. “Now, the things we’ll need; You’ll need a bigger pack, obviously. You’ll need new, warmer clothes, an everyday wear outfit, a traveling outfit, nightwear, and of course a dress to wear in the king’s presence. Tools for the road-“ I put my hand up to stop him. “Can’t we just get all this in the Capital? I mean, warmer clothes, traveling clothes, tools, and weapons for sure now, but…the fancy stuff can wait until we get there. We should travel as light as we can I would imagine.” I explained.  
Thatch looked at Knight Andria, who looked impressed and nodded. “Knew you were the smart one. Of course, you’re right. I get…overzealous when it comes to shopping. One of my favorite pass-times.” He chuckled and stood up, taking a large gulp of his pint before setting it down and putting a hefty sum on the table. Andria reached over and drained the rest of his beer before laying down a little of her own money. I reached into my pouch to pull out a few coins but Andria put her hand on my bag and shook her head, smiling. I nodded to her, thanking her and we all left to the Middle District Gate. 

The gate was much nicer than ours in the Lower District. The barrier was stronger (you could see the traces of it in the sky. A light, rainbow affect, like the colors in a bubble) and the gate was made of strong and sturdy wood. The Rooks guarding the gate let us through with ease. The Lower District merchants could pass through to sell wares in the Middle, and people with important titles or business could head through as well. As long as you had legitimate business, you were allowed through. 

I had only been through a few times, helping people carry cargo or that kind of stuff, so I knew the basics of the place. It was nice enough. Paved walkways, nice, even houses…all very lovely. Much better looking than my district. We got a few on-lookers but beyond that, we passed through easily, all the way to the top to the Upper District Gate. This gate was much more powerful. You couldn’t see it, but you could FEEL it. It was like getting the air pulled out of you, just a tiny bit and a soft vibration in your chest. The physical gate was made of cobbled stone and iron, and was even higher than the other gates with more Rooks guarding the gate. 

When we got to the gate, as soon as the Rooks saw Zatch and Andria they all saluted and let them through without question. Before I was able to walk through, however, I was grabbed by the shoulder by a large Rook, glaring down at me. “This your servant, Sir Thatch?” He asked gruffly. I glared back at the Rook, but understood why he asked. I was a scrawny, dirty person. I was obviously low-class trash. Thatch walked over with a gentle smile and grabbed the Rook’s hand, pulling it off of me. “That, my good sir…is indeed my pack mule. I would appreciate it if you didn’t set your hands on her. She’s a very valuable asset…and an expensive one.” Thatch wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close, leading me with him. I gave him the same glare I gave the guard and Thatch looked at me with apologetic eyes. “We can’t go around telling everyone you’re a Soul Bearer. It would cause way too much of a ruckus, and may cause unwanted attention. Forgive me.” He whispered. I huffed but, again, understood. 

There were dangerous people through the world. Many who hated the king, and worse, hated humanity and was in favor of monsters being our overlords. If they could half the advancement of humans it would be in their favor. It was better I was seen as a slave.

As sad as it was, slaves to the rich were common. They didn’t like the term “slave” however. They preferred servant or helper. Made them feel less guilty about buying someone against their will and only paying them with their lives. But it was a reality that many had to live with. Most were treated as lesser, but with everything, there were some that liked to keep their slaves healthy and pretty…mostly the sex-slaves.

I had to shield my eyes when we walked through the gates into the Upper District because of all the bright light. It was…quite lovely, in a powdered wig, pursed lips kinda way. Bright white marble and gold lined the rich district. The whole thing honestly looks like the inside of a palace. It was a large building covering an entire sector of smaller buildings. Everything was polished and shimmering. Hell, they had crystal chandeliers hanging around the outside of the marble pedestals. There were perfectly cut squares of the greenest grass I had ever seen in the main plaza, along with a huge, glittering fountain and benches. 

The people, however, kinda ruined the experience for me. Every one of them strutted by, noses so far in the air I was afraid they couldn’t see where they were going and would run into each other. The pranced in silk clothing and had their hair up in high poofs and curls. They seemed to think they looked beautiful, but really I thought they looked ridiculous. Why wear all that mess? Makeup caked their faces, their hair looked heavy weighed down with all the gold stars and glittering gems they had stuck in it and their clothes looked so impractical. It looked so difficult to move in. Maybe that was the “peasant” in me not seeing the point, but I definitely didn’t want all that. Maybe a pretty dress with a few gems but other than that, I didn’t want to look like a walking cotton ball that rolled through glitter and makeup. 

Thatch pulled me out of my thoughts and led me through the plaza and down some stairs to a more dank looking part of the area. IT was still nice, but it was more stone than lovely marble. On our way there several richy snobs looked down at me and wrinkled their noses. A lady (I think it was a lady, there was too much makeup to tell) even pulled her skirt away from me and made a “eugh” noise while walking by me. I was tempted to rub my hands across her dress, but I kept my hands to myself, remembering what Thatch said. We didn’t need to draw attention to ourselves.

When we got below I found many gruff looking Knights, who all cheered and gave Andria a pat on the back. Seems we were in the Knight’s stocking area. We went to a large room where a large man was pounding away on blades. “Ah, Gregory. Good to see you old boy!” Thatch laughed with wide arms and a wide smile. The man, Gregory, simply looked up and grumbled, then went back to hammering on his metal. “I would LOVE to chat and hear all about the wife and kids, but we’re on a time stamp. I need a weapon for this young thing here.” He pushed me forward and I stood a little awkward, staring at Gregory. He eyed me, and, with a sigh, set down his hammer and wiped his hands on his apron before coming over and kneeling to me, staring at me with beady, coal-like, eyes behind a gruff, dirty, beard and hair. 

I realized the look in his eye and felt my fear and anxiousness go away. I held out my hand and smiled. “Good to meet you, Sir Gregory. I’ve never wielded a blade before...at least, nothing big. Mostly small knives. If you have anything that could fit that description, but maybe a little more reach I would most appreciate your help. I can pay you, of course.” I felt no fear about this man. I could see it. He was very kind and the warmth coming from him was more than his body heat. I could feel the warmth of his soul. It was so strange. I had always had fear speaking to people. I was always incredibly antisocial and anxious around others, but something…compelled me to speak to Gregory like a friend.

And it seemed to work.

 

Gregory gave a grin through his beard and nodded. “Aye. I have something for yeh. I think you’ll recognize it, Red Soul.”


End file.
